By Eromosele Abiodun
The United Kingdom (UK) trade envoy to Nigeria, John Howell has pledged to encourage UK companies to partner Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL) to facilitate trade between Nigeria and his country.
Howell, who stated this when he paid a courtesy visit to LADOL in company of the UK High commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, Friday in Lagos, promised to bring UK expertise and encourage companies in its oil and gas sector to work with LADOL.
Doing so, he stated, will help create employment and prosperity, a development he stressed, will be of great advantage to the Britain.
Speaking specifically on why he visited the free zone, he said: “I am here because I have been appointed as the UK trade envoy to Nigeria and it is a sign of the commitment that the UK has to Nigeria. It also demonstrates the wish to develop trade between our countries. We are bringing expertise from the UK to help Nigerian companies to be able to take advantage of that for the benefit of all because the more the prosperity is generated in Nigeria the better to Britain as well. It is a very mutual business.”
He hailed LADOL’s management for their ability to galvanise massive investments for the project calling on heavy duty industries to take advantage of the facilities in the free zone.
According to him, “From what I have seen so far I have been very impressed with the facility here, the state-of-the art equipment, some of the best and best of its kind in Africa. I think that speaks volume about the managements visionary approach to the development here which I am sure is going to stand her in very good stead sin the future.
“That the equipment here are the first of its kind in Africa means that the management of this place is very visionary in been able to address some of the worst problems. It tells us that the owners of this place are in the forefront of been able to galvanise the finance, the interest of companies around the world to be able to put together such an enormous operation that has fantastic confidence in its self, which I think is something that we desperately needs to bring to Nigeria.
“For initiatives such as this I can go back and can talk to our companies in the oil and gas industry for example about what I have seen here. It is not just an idea in a piece of paper but what is happening on the ground and that speaks volume to companies to actually see somebody who is been there touched it and can really talk about it.”
Speaking on the significance of this historic visit to LADOL base, the Managing Director of LADOL, Dr. Amy Jadesimi said: “This was the first visit of the British Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Nigeria, Howell. The fact that LADOL was one of the few facilities he visited makes us proud and we aimed to show the British government the many opportunities there are for investment in Nigeria and the significant benefits British companies would gain by being in Nigeria which will become West Africa’s hub.”
